The invention relates generally to an optical article for playback in a player. More particularly the invention relates to an activation system and method for rendering an optical article playable in a player.
Shoplifting is a major problem for retail venues and especially for shopping malls, where it is relatively difficult to keep an eye on each customer while they shop or move around in the store. Relatively small objects, such as CDs and DVDs are common targets as they can be easily hidden and carried out of the shops without being noticed. Shops, as well as the entertainment industry, incur monetary losses because of such instances.
Even though closed-circuit surveillance cameras may be located at such places, theft still occurs. Consumer products sometimes are equipped with theft-deterrent packaging. For example, clothing, CDs, audiotapes, DVDs and other high-value items are occasionally packaged along with tags that set off an alarm if the item is removed from the store without being purchased. These tags are engineered to detect and alert for shoplifting. For example, tags that are commonly used to secure against shoplifting are the Sensormatic® electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags based on acousto-magnetic technology. RFID tags are also employed to trace the items on store shelves and warehouses. Other theft-deterrent technologies currently used for optical discs include hub caps for DVD cases that lock down the disc and prevent it from being removed from the packaging until it is purchased, and “keepers” that attach to the outside of the DVD case packaging to prevent the opening of the package until it is purchased. In some cases, retailers have resorted to storing merchandise in locked glass display cases. In other stores, the DVD cases on the shelves are empty, and the buyer receives the actual disc only when purchased. Many of these approaches are unappealing because they add an additional inconvenience to the buyer or retailer, or they are not as effective at preventing theft as desired. Optical storage media, in particular, pose an additional problem in that their packaging and the sensor or anti-theft tags may be easily removed.
Point-of-sale (POS) activation reduces retail shrinkage because the optical article, for example a DVD, may not be useful i.e., may not be playable, if removed from the store prior to activation. Previously, optical articles have been activated using RF induction (wireless power transfer); that is, electrical power was transferred from the POS equipment to the tag via RF induction from a transformer coil in the POS equipment to a coil on the tag. From there, heat or voltage is transferred from the tag to a heat-responsive layer or electrically-responsive layer(s) on the DVD. The wireless mode of activation may suffer from specific issues, for example, excess heat dissipation resulting in the increase in cost of the activation process due to power transfer inefficiencies. The power transfer efficiency depends on a number of factors including distance and alignment between the transformer coils in the POS equipment and on the tag, the quality factor which depends on electrical resistance and geometry of the coils, and the frequency of the RF radiation. It may be prohibitively expensive to achieve a sufficiently high quality factor for the tag. Furthermore, to be able to wirelessly transfer energy to multiple heaters (or electrodes) that are connected to the tag, multiple coils or an integrated circuit is necessary on the tag, adding to the overall cost.
Accordingly, there remains a need for an improved solution to the long-standing problem. The method described herein fills this need by providing an activation system and employing an activation method that will permit use of the DVD only by an authorized user. Using this method, the DVDs are more reliably activated using a direct contact from the POS equipment to an electrical device.